Believing in your heart and then saying with your mouth what you believe in your heart is faith. Believing without works is belief. The working part in our text is the saying part. 2 Corinthians 4:13 has it this way: “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;” And this is Hebrew 11:1 definition: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The “substance of the things hoped for” tells us it is a “now” word.

By it God used His Word to create the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1). The worlds, according to Hebrew 11:3 were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Faith comes

Some Christians ignorantly pray for it. You already have it. You do not have to try to get it. Romans 12:3 is clear on this one: “…God hath dealt to every man (Christian) the measure of faith.” Note that not all men have faith. Look at it in 2 Thessalonians 3:2: “…all men have not faith.” Here in Thessalonians, Paul was talking of those who were not of God.

The book of Romans 10:17 tell us how man is given this gift. And God’s Word is called the Word of faith as seen in Romans 10:8. It causes the heart of those who are open to it to receive salvation (Romans 10:9-14). Nobody can believe without hearing.

The reason why the world does not have it is this; it is the gift of God given to the chosen ones by grace as seen in Ephesians 2:8. It is not a natural human faith; so you are not saved if you are still praying for it. You already have it, use it.

Taking sides against God is you saying he lies to you. His Word is Him speaking. He is one with Christ, the Living Word (John 1:1) just like you are with yours. You are bad if your word is bad. The Father cannot work with and for you when you are against Him. Stay with the Word of God to avoid being on the wrong side. Ideally, always ask yourself, in everything, what does God’s Word say? Put faith in God’s Word, not in your feelings. It is not about what you feel or think. It is what the Word says that count. Our walk in Christianity is the walk of faith; you cannot do anything without it (1 Timothy 6:12). And you cannot please the Father without it (Hebrews 11:6). So you ought to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Faith grows

It is an ever-increasing thing. And you already have a measure of it. The choice is now yours to make it grow or not. The one who decides to increase the gift is you, not the giver of the gift. You increase it by what Matthew 4:4 said you should do. That is feeding on the Word and practicing it. The things you see naturally are similar to spiritual things. Desiring the sincere milk of the Word is you desiring spiritual food for your inner man to grow in all the gifts of God (1 Peter 2:2). You have the food, eat it. The Word, according to Romans 10:8 is in your mouth. Speak it!

The best part is, we can always make it grow because it is measurable. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke in Luke 12:28, Matthew 6:30, andMatthew 14:22-33 about little faith. He also commended a centurion of his great faith in Matthew 8:5-10, 13. Romans 4:19 spoke of weak faith, and the immediate verse, Romans 4:20, also mentioned strong faith . The book of James 2:5 tells us about rich faith, too. And you can be half-full of it because Acts 6:5 tells us Stephen was full of faith. James 2:22 talks of a perfect faith. 1Timothy 1:5 spelled out that there is unfeigned faith. That is one which is genuine. Meaning there is the insincere one. And 1Timothy 1:19 also gives us the shipwrecked faith.

Unforgiveness hinders faith

The Lord Jesus Christ in the same Mark 11 after teaching us how to operate in this all important God given gift, said in verse 25 that when you stand praying forgive. He was talking about operating in love. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12-14 said without love spiritual gifts are worthless. A Christian will always have the gift of forgiveness. It is a gift. So Mark 11: 26 does not apply here.

We did not do any work for God’s grace; I do not have to forgive someone for God to forgive me. I forgive because He forgave me first. That 26 verse is not for the new dispensation. Love is automatic in the life of a Christian. We do not force ourselves to love, we are love. And the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5).

Never think not hearing the Word hinders it. You were chosen to hear and believe the Word, it is a gift. You were given to Christ by the Father (John 6:44). That is why some refuses to believe, and you never did. You will by all means hear and believe only if you are chosen to be part of the Father’s Kingdom (Romans 8:30). Study the Word carefully, and you will discover this truth. Constantly hearing the Word brings the growth.

Do not do with your faith what the man in Matthew 25:25 did with his one talent. From today, start growing from wherever you are. Constantly grow. 1John 5:4 says: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Hallelujah!